Popular Gov. Jim Justice (R) easily won the West Virginia seat held by retiring Sen. Joe Manchin (I), marking the first time a Republican won the seat since the 1950s.
He defeated Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott, a little-known Democratic challenger.
Democratic leaders in Washington privately acknowledged several months ago that Republicans would win the seat.
Independent candidate Dan Osborn pulls off an upset over Sen. Deb Fischer (R) (Neb.) or Rep. Colin Allred (D) shocks Sen. Ted Cruz (R) Barring a victory, Justice's victory will likely give Republicans control of at least 50 Senate seats. Texas Senate election.
He will take over the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (Virginia, VA) Held from 1958 to 2010.
The 73-year-old Justice, who is completing his second term as governor, is a newcomer highly regarded by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who personally worked with him to persuade him to enter the gubernatorial race. I made an offer to Mr. Justice.
McConnell will persuade the judge to challenge Manchin, who managed to win re-election in 2018 despite former President Donald Trump leading the state with 68% of the vote in the 2016 presidential election. I flew to West Virginia.
Justice now has an approval rating of 51%, compared to 28% earlier this year, making him a formidable candidate.
He left the governor's mansion after passing the largest state tax cut in West Virginia history and signing more anti-abortion bills than any previous West Virginia governor.
Mr. Manchin initially hinted that he was considering reelection, saying he was looking forward to watching Mr. Justice face off against conservative Rep. Alex Mooney (R) in the West Virginia Senate Republican primary.
But Manchin announced his retirement last November, dampening hopes that Senate Democrats would retain the Senate majority.
“A few months ago I thought he was going to run again, but as time goes on, I think I hear more and more people saying, 'He probably won't run.' I hope he does, I hope he does,' and I don't think I was surprised,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said a year ago. Ta.
Justice easily defeated Mooney in the May Republican primary, winning by a margin of 61.8% to 26.5%.
Mr. Manchin, 77, will end his career in Washington after three terms in the Senate, including a partial term he served after Mr. Byrd's death.
In the 117th Congress, the Senate was split 50-50, but thanks to Vice President Harris' tie-breaking vote, Democrats controlled the majority, and he played an extremely influential role.
In 2022, he directed billions of dollars in federal spending to West Virginia through the Anti-Inflation Act, which he negotiated in secret with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
The legislation permanently extends the Black Lung Injury Trust Fund for miners who suffer from black lung disorder, provides $10 billion in incentives to the coal and natural gas industry, and provides energy infrastructure reinvestment loan guarantees. and $1.55 billion to support natural gas companies' efforts. To reduce methane emissions.
He also provided billions of dollars in federal aid for infrastructure projects through a bipartisan infrastructure bill he co-authored with senators in 2021.
The legislation provided $3 billion to repair West Virginia's roads and highways, as well as $500 million for bridges, $40 million for airports, $300 million for public transportation, and increased broadband access in the state. $600 million was provided for expansion.
Despite his efforts to redirect federal funds home, Mr. Manchin suffered a major hit in his approval ratings after passing anti-inflation legislation that Republicans despised. By October 2022, his approval ratings had plummeted by double digits, and he was under pressure to consider retirement.
Manchin briefly joined an independent presidential campaign earlier this year after being scouted by the group No Labels.
Ultimately, he decided against running as a third-party candidate, telling supporters in a speech at West Virginia University, “I don't think this is the right time.”
Instead, he said he would focus on “ensuring we have a president who is knowledgeable, passionate and capable of uniting this country.”
He left the Democratic Party in May and registered as an independent. He did not support Harris or Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
